The Two Faces of the GOP

As a lifelong democrat, I’ve never considered voting for the Republicans. Even when there were certain ideals that I could agree with them on – welfare reform, reduced regulation and free trade – I could still not even imagine aligning myself with the conservative movement. Beyond individual policy prescriptions, the deeper spirit and character behind the movement was something I found to be repugnant and revolting. And now, during the height of the Trump schism, the reasons why are clear.

The republican party is not a party unified. No movement can ever be truly unified, but the Republican party in particular is one with two faces.

On the one side, you have the noble, intellectual movement. The side that sincerely believes in the power of free markets to enrich and empower the impoverished. The side that believes that the government that governs best is the government that governs least. The side that believes that a country is best served by putting most money and power in the hands of people, communities and the free market, not in the hands of a centralized bureaucracy. The side that joined the Republican party out of sincere and noble intellectual beliefs. The side that has no problem aligning themselves with Latinos like Marco Rubio, Blacks like Ben Carson, Women like Sarah Palin, and Indians like Nikki Haley.

Until now, the two sides have mingled and coexisted in a hybrid. The public face of the party has always been the respectable and reasonable former, while the base of the party and the tactics it employed, were deeply influenced by the latter. Hence why the party has never been able to attract non-Whites, women, intellectuals or youth, while simultaneously wondering why its marketing efforts to those groups have consistently failed. Now, with the Trump faction distilled into its pure, unfiltered essence, the reason why is clear.

In recent weeks, a number of conservative leaders, those belonging to the former camp, have called for a 3rd candidate to run in this year’s election. One who stands for the conservative movement that they champion and believe in. I think it’s time the GOP took this idea to the next level and split itself off into a 3rd party permanently.

A party that leaves behind all vestiges of the Trump faction, their ugly beliefs and their crude tactics. A party that stands for sincere and respectable beliefs. A party that loses the bigots, nativists and extremists, and replaces them with women, Latinos, Blacks, Asians, Jews, Muslims, and intellectuals, under the banner of small government, free markets and low taxes. A party that will present to the respectable man, a compelling alternative to the Democratic party. A party that can once again call itself the party of Lincoln.